Vermont Jazz Center

05/31/2026

Bassist, vocalist, and composer Mimi Jones returns to the Vermont Jazz Center for this year’s Convergence Project on June 13.

New York-based Jones attended the famed LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and then the Manhattan School of Music on a full scholarship. She studied bass with and has been mentored by a host of big names: Ron Carter, Milton Hinton, Charles Davis, Dr. Billy Taylor, Max Roach among them. As a Jazz Ambassador, Jones toured Africa, Europe, Russia, China, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean for the U.S. State Department. Her work as a side woman includes gigs with a range of artists from Kenny Barron to Ravi Coltrane; Beyonce to Dee Dee Bridgewater and Kevin Mahogany. Jones has released three albums as a leader and appears on recordings with Rudy Royston, Lizz Wright, Tia Fuller, Luís Perdomo, Camille Thurman, and others.

See Mimi Jones perform with The Convergence Project at 7:30 PM EST — live at the VJC and livestreamed at vtjazz.org.

05/28/2026

Saxophonist Stacy Dillard brings a powerful blend of tradition and innovation to this year’s Convergence Project at the Vermont Jazz Center on Saturday, June 13.

Dillard has taught saxophone and ensembles at the VJC Summer Workshop. After college at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, Dillard notes that a fortunate encounter with Wynton Marsalis in Dayton, Ohio, turned Dillard’s attention to the New York scene. Since moving to New York, he has recorded four albums as a leader and over forty as a sideman. He can be found on recordings with Cyrus Chestnut, Captain Black Big Band, Eric Revis, Winard Harper, Wycliffe Gordon and many others.

Known for his rich tone, deep musicality, and electrifying presence, Dillard embodies the fusion of groove, tradition, and fearless creativity that defines The Convergence Project.

“Stacy is a one-of-a-kind musician. Seriously.” — Roy Hargrove

Catch Stacy Dillard with:
• Eugene Uman – piano
• Mimi Jones – bass
• Brian Shankar Adler – drums
• Jhair Sala – percussion

7:30 PM EST • In person + livestreamed at vtjazz.org

05/26/2026

The Convergence Project is pianist and composer Eugene Uman’s annual performance to assemble a “dream band” that reflects the many musical influences that have shaped his life and work.

Uman is the VJC’s co-director, a pianist, and a composer who enjoys playing energetic rhythms and bold melodies that reflect his musical journey. His writing draws equally from the jazz traditions he absorbed through mentors like Sheila Jordan, Howard Brofsky, Mike Longo, and Jimmy Heath, and from the folkloric rhythms he encountered during years living in Colombia. He founded jazz studies programs at Universidad EAFIT and el Colegio de Música de Medellín and his inspiration behind the name “Convergence Project” is from his incorporation of rhythms such as cumbia, pasillo, bambuco, and currulao, with bebop, gospel, soul, rock, and funk in what he calls a “convergence”—a mash-up of the styles he loves and “where groove reigns supreme.”

Experience The Convergence Project on Saturday, June 13 at 7:30 PM EST at the Vermont Jazz Center or livestreamed at vtjazz.org.

05/23/2026

The Vermont Jazz Center closes its 2025–26 season with The Convergence Project on Saturday, June 13 at 7:30 PM EST — live at the VJC and livestreamed at vtjazz.org.
Led by pianist/composer Eugene Uman, this annual project brings together world-class musicians for an evening where modern jazz, Colombian rhythms, gospel, funk, soul, hard bop, and groove converge into one powerful musical vision.

Featuring:
• Stacy Dillard – saxophone
• Eugene Uman – piano
• Mimi Jones – bass
• Brian Shankar Adler – drums
• Jhair Sala – percussion

Join us for an unforgettable finale to the season.

05/22/2026

05/16/2026

Sean Jones is one of the leading trumpeters in the jazz world. He is also a distinguished educator who has toured with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. Jones has released eight acclaimed albums as a leader and performed on over 100 as a sideman.

Sean Jones first discovered music through the church choir, where the emotional depth of gospel laid the foundation for his sound. Known for his commanding presence and versatility, he moves seamlessly across genres – leading his own ensembles, collaborating with orchestras, and mentoring emerging talent.

As a featured artist, he has recorded with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra, and with Nancy Wilson on her Grammy-winning album Turned to Blue (2006). He has performed as lead trumpet with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra under the direction of Wynton Marsalis (2004–2010), the SFJAZZ Collective (2015–2017), and currently appears with the Baltimore Jazz Collective. In 2011, he was selected by Marcus Miller, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter to join the international Tribute to Miles tour.

A leading voice in jazz education, Jones is Chair in Jazz at Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Conservatory and Artistic Director of Carnegie Hall’s NYO Jazz. He previously chaired the Brass Department at Berklee College of Music and served as President of the Jazz Education Network (JEN).

05/15/2026

Tomorrow at the Vermont Jazz Center:

Sean Jones Quartet
📍 Brattleboro, VT - In-person + livestream
🕖 7:30 PM EST

Tickets and details: https://www.vtjazz.org

05/14/2026

✨🎺 Jazz Legend. May 16.

🎺🔥 Sean Jones Quartet — Live at the Vermont Jazz Center 🔥🎺

🗓 Saturday, May 16, 2026 - 🕢 7:30 PM ET
📍 Vermont Jazz Center, Brattleboro, VT
💻 FREE Livestream via vtjazz.org (donations welcome)

He grew up in what he calls "the cultural desert of Warren, Ohio." A rough household. A church choir that became his first window into something bigger. And an iron will to find meaning through music.

That kid is now Sean Jones — lead trumpeter of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra under Wynton Marsalis, three-time Grammy winner, artistic director of Carnegie Hall's National Youth Orchestra, and the man NPR calls "one of the predominant voices of his generation." 🏆

The New York Times wrote that after his set, "the crowd seemed almost stunned into its applause." JazzTimes calls him "a trumpeter who combines artistry and virtuosity, with a sound reminiscent of vintage Freddie Hubbard."

On May 16th, Jones brings his touring quartet to VJC — and in true Art Blakey fashion, every musician is someone he personally trained. 🎓

🎺 Sean Jones – trumpet
🎹 Seth Finch – piano (Juilliard grad; toured with Dianne Reeves & Kurt Elling)
🎸 Aiden Taylor – bass (Peabody grad; 5x DownBeat Student Music Award winner)
🥁 Koleby Royston – drums (Peabody grad; performed at the Kennedy Center)

A master and his students, burning together on the same stage. 🔥

🎟 Tickets ($25+ sliding scale) → https://secure.vtjazz.org/np/clients/vtjazz/eventRegistration.jsp?forwardedFromSecureDomain=1&event=1885
💻 Watch free & donate → https://secure.vtjazz.org/donation.jsp?campaign=150
🌐 vtjazz.org

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2Kgl9CtO5A
"Yes or No" w/ Sean Jones, Patrick Bartley, Herlin Riley, Philip Norris, & Emmet Cohen

VJC is a non-profit — sponsorship keeps tickets accessible for everyone. 🙏
Anticipated to sell out. Reserve early. 🔒

"I crashed all those mirrors — and now the whole world is there for me to see." — Sean Jones